Pub history

The Barrel Vault

To overcome the natural slope of the land and numerous other constraints, this building’s architect, Barlow, decided that trains would enter the railway station’s elevated platforms on a raised deck, over five metres higher than the adjoining roads. The deck was supported by hundreds of cast-iron columns, meaning that there was a vast storage area below. This was used to store thousands of barrels of Burton Beer – highly popular in the capital at the time.